Would celery be able to combat global climate change? Paludiculture, also known as wet farming, seeks to rewet drained peatland and produce crops that can withstand high water levels.
Lowland British peatlands have been drained for agriculture for years, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. On bogland that was drained for farming in Greater Manchester, the local wildlife trust is growing celery on the remnants of ancient peat that were subsurfaced. The water table was permitted to rise 10 cm to 50 cm below the surface, stopping the peat from releasing its carbon, and celery, a crop that tolerates wet conditions, was planted in the old field's drains and ditches.
In the Fens, cattail bulrushes are grown in rewetted old peat before being collected and processed into compost for industrial growers, biodegradable food packaging, and fireproof insulation for housing.